Getting Old, Next Project, and Some Educational and Fun Videos

Maybe My Blood Sugar Is Crashing, I Dunno.

Getting-old-getting-older-getting-oldest-getting-Heat-Death-Of-The-Universe-old.

Some well-dressed-and-groomed silver fox on TikTok states “Things get easier when you’re sixty.” What do I say to that? “Survivor Bias and Rationalization.” People who are aging poorly are not going to talk about it. No one wants negativity. And at this age, personal counselling away your flaws and fears may be a Sunk Cost Fallacy, so you adjust expectations and say “who cares about goals? I got self-respect.”

Good thing counselling is cheap.

If you have an older friend, ask if they’d like to go hang out somewhere. Just hang out for a couple of hours.

What to expect when you get older: the activity that brings you joyful companionship will end one day. Typically, one death or disability at a time. Brace yourself as it falls away. Enjoy all of your friends. Hug them today.

Turning sixty was pretty miserable. I forgot to schedule a day off on my birthday (I see now I was ignoring it), so I went to work. My older brother called me on my break: “How you doing today?” “Dunno,” I said, “I’m just feeling tired and bummed out.” He says, “That’s because you’re old now. And you’re going to die.” This is my family’s sense of humor.

So that’s Getting Old for this newsletter.

I have to work more hours at my day job. I had been working four days a week over the last six months, and I got a lot done. But I did not work enough hours to keep my job’s health insurance. I mathy-mathed the problem and if I work 33 hours per week (four-and-3/4 days) until June, I should get insured again.

Since October, I’ve earned about $20 from self-publishing. I’ve widened my reach by being available on Kobo. Also, I’ve heard it many times that for every five books given away, someone will buy that book. I just want people to read them. They are good books.

Currently, I’m outlining the next novella in Fazgood’s story. But what about the novella I just finished? My writers’ group Noble Fusion would like me to send that novella to agents instead of self-publishing. Finding an agent could get me closer to Traditional Publishing (not wealth or fame, necessarily), and could take years of effort. I am impatient. It took me 13 months to complete this novella. Maybe the next book goes to an agent? I don’t know.

Also! Working on short stories, as you’ve seen from previous posts. Will be sending them more out soon.

INKY BONES PRESS is surely the real deal as a publisher. I’ve been kept in the loop about releases, promotions, and all other things the author should know about. I’m aware of one other author in this collection, but I’m sure all are good. I’ll make sure you know when pre-ordering is available.

I’m getting off Spotify because, well, military-industrial complex ownership. But YouTube isn’t bad (only surveillance state fascism there). Here are a couple of videos I’ve saved recently:

The good thing about getting older? Watching the enshittification of the cruel. Starting about 2011, I started doomscrolling alt-right websites (I was in a crap job with little emotional support). I followed them from their snarling and jerking at the leash, to my tapering off since 2020 when my health improved. Stopped by three of them the other day and they are Kubler-Rossing all over the place. Denial, Compromise, with one coming close to Acceptance. My only regret is that my most political friend passed away. But sometimes you get to see society wise up.

Talk to you soon! Hug your friends!